iv 



REPORT ON 



Report. place. The Court of Directors made extraordi- 

 nary efforts to increase the production of indigo 

 and improve its quality, foreseeing that, if they 

 succeeded, the result would be at once highly ad- 

 vantageous to India and beneficial to this country, 

 by ensuring a regular supply of an article essen- 

 tially necessary to some of the most important 

 British manufactures. 



Influenced by these views, the Court, in 1779- 

 80, entered into contract with a gentleman in 

 Bengal, who was engaged in the cultivation, for a 

 supply at prices which were intended to encourage 

 the growth. Other engagements of the same 

 kind were successively made until the year 1788.* 



At that period the Court, taking a review of 

 what had been done, found that very heavy losses 

 had accrued under the existing system, but that 

 the indigo produced had arrived at a considerable 

 degree of perfection. The result of the inquiry 

 was, a determination that the Company should 

 cease to purchase for at least three years, and that 

 the trade should be laid open to their servants 

 and other persons under their protection, upon 

 payment of freight. Company's duties, and 



charges. 



* Letter to Bengal, 28th March 1788. 



